


Always Have Hope

by RuddiestBubbles



Category: MindCrack RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-18 11:37:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5927005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuddiestBubbles/pseuds/RuddiestBubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your always supposed to have hope, even in the darkest of times. But, if you have to sit by and watch while nothing happens to save you loved ones, then how do you keep that hope?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Why the fuck have you not done anything yet?!?" Dezeray asks, storming into a council meeting, her voice full of anger. 

"Woah, language Dezeray!" Zisteau says, following close behind. 

"I don't care about language anymore!" She yells. "He's gone and you guys have done nothing!" 

"Dezeray. Calm. Down." Zisteau says sternly. 

"How are you not upset by this?" 

"How could I not be upset?!? This is my husband were talking about!" Zisteau shouts, any notion of caution left behind. 

"Then why haven't you done anything?!?" 

"I've tried! Those fuckers won't let me leave!" 

"Guys!" Comes a shout as Dezeray and Zisteau yell at each other.

"Shut up." Guude says with a sigh. "We were having a meeting." 

"That was the point of coming here." Dezeray starts. "We have to do something. I can't just sit here and wait for someone to do something while my dad is sitting there in a cell being tortured!" 

"We're trying Dezeray, but there's only so much we can do." 

"But you haven't done anything." 

"There's only so much we can do."

"What? Like sit around and hope everything gets better?" 

"Dezeray. We are working on it." 

"Fine, what have you accomplished?" 

"We've located where he's at."

"Then why haven't you gotten him?" 

"Because we don't know where in the facility he is. Or what type of security there is. There's too many unknowns for us to go in yet." 

"How much longer must we wait?"

"As long as it takes Dezeray." 

Dezeray turns and leaves the room as tears sting her eyes. She had just wanted to help with this whole operation. She couldn't wait any longer, it had already been almost a month. She was tired of waiting, of sitting around watching nothing happen. She didn't understand how the others could be living such normal lives while one of their own was sitting in a cell being tortured. 

"Dezeray!" Zisteau shouts, running after her. "We really need to talk." 

Dezeray stops and faces Zisteau, tears running slowly down her face. 

"Dez, just please listen." 

"I'm done with 'just listening' dad. Kurt is out there hurting and probably loosing hope while were here doing absolutely nothing." Dezeray says, before storming off. 

She heads through town square and to the small flower garden she had planted. She headed through the maze of paths and ended up in a small clearing, where she sat in the thick, soft, green grass. She took a deep breath, taking in the sweet smell of the flowers and the nature surrounding her. This was her place, she'd made it, and she kept it up to code. This was like her little bubble. The place she could go to calm down and relax. A place she called hers, where she could be alone.

She let the tears flow down her face as she rested her head in her hands. It had been a month since they took him. She and Zisteau were devastated. Ever since then the two got in so many arguments, constantly fighting with each other. She wanted so desperately to do something, but everyone was just sitting around, waiting. 

"Dezeray?" Came a soft, questioning voice. 

Dezeray looked up, seeing long, light brown hair and brown eyes. "Ari?" 

"Hey, I heard yelling, and came to check on you." Ariana says as she sits crossed legged across from her.

"I got in another argument with dad." Dezeray says sadly. 

"About?" 

"The same thing. But I interrupted a council meeting." 

"You know you can get in big trouble for that." 

"I know Ari, but I'm sick and tired of this! I just want my dad back and those bastards aren't doing anything about it!" 

"Woah, Dez, calm down." 

"Ugh.... how can I stay calm while my dad is being held in a cell somewhere and probably being tortured, while we sit around doing nothing." 

"I really don't know what to say, Dez." 

"They know where he is, but they aren't going to get him." 

"Wait.... they know?" 

"Yeah, and they won't get him." 

"They didn't tell you where, did they?" 

"No." 

"Hey guys!" Comes a cheery voice and a giggle, totally interrupting their conversation. 

"Hey Apple." Ariana says.

"Whatcha guys up too?" She asks cheerily, though her smile quickly turns to a frown as she noticing Dezeray's tears. She takes a seat beside Ariana, bringing her knees to her chest. 

"Dez is upset about Kurt again, she interrupted a council meeting." 

"You did what now?" Apple asks, giving Dezeray an incredulous look.

"I'm fucken tired of waiting! Its been a month." 

"Language." Apple giggles. 

Dezeray throws her a half hearted glare. "I just want them to bring him back." 

"I know Dezzy." 

"But they know where he is." Ariana says, catching Apples attention. 

"They know? Then why haven't they done anything yet?" Apple asks.

"There's to many 'unknowns', or at least that's what your dad said." 

"Oh....." Apple says.

"We could go get him." Ariana says, catching the attention of both girls.

"What?" Dezeray asks, staring at the girl, who she thought might just be crazy. 

"We." Ariana starts, gesturing to the other two. "Could find out where he is and get him back." 

"I think you've gone crazy Ari." Dezeray says.

"No no, I think she has a point Dez." Apple starts. "My dad is the leader of the counsel, I might be able to find out where Kurt is by digging through his stuff."

"And I could get provisions for the trip, my dad does run a bakery." Ariana adds. 

"I do know where the armory is." Apple continues. "We could get weapons from there and then we could go. No one would have to know." 

"Are you guys serious?" Dezeray asks, staring at the two in disbelief.

"Very. We could get everything and leave tonight." Apple says.

"I dunno guys." Dezeray says with a sigh. "What makes you think that we could do anything, let alone that." 

"Dezeray Marie Hunter." Apple says sternly. "Don't think like that! What have you always told us?" 

"Always have hope." Dezeray mutters, avoiding Apple's shimmering emerald green eyes.

"Exactly. You have to have hope! You always told us that! Now come on, have some hope that we can do it!" 

Dezeray looked up at the two girls, both of them looking at her with anticipation. "Fine. What's the plan?" 

Apple smiles brightly. "When my dad gets home, I'll wait till he's busy and dig through his stuff. Ari will get provisions. Dez, you get what you'll need from home and we'll meet back here at midnight. Then we'll head to the armory and get what we need, then we'll be out of here before anyone notices." 

"Were really doing this?" Dezeray says. 

"Yes we are." Ariana says, holding out her hand. 

Apple and Dezeray both put there hands on top of Ariana's. "On three." Ariana says. "One.... two.... three.... Break!" 

They all giggle at that, it was so silly. "Alright. I'll see you two at midnight." Apple says, swiftly standing up and walking away, her long blonde hair flowing behind her as she disappeared around a corner.

"Keep your head up Dez, we will find him and bring him home." Ariana says, holding out a hand to help Dezeray up. 

Dezeray grabs her hand and pulls herself up. The two walk back out of the garden side by side. Once they reach the exit, they part ways with a wave, heading their separate ways.


	2. Chapter 2

Apple made her way home, which was a bit of a walk, but she didn't mind. She liked being out in nature, seeing the beautiful colors, hearing the sounds, feeling the sun shinning down brightly on her. As she reached the edge of her front yard, she kicked off her shoes and grabbed them. She walked slowly to the porch, loving the feel of the soft grass beneath her feet. 

She stopped as she reached the porch, looking back at the forest that was on the other side of the road from her house, and the plains that reside near it. It was peaceful, she found, she'd always loved it. Ever since she was a little girl her dad would take her out into the plains and play games with her. Or they'd go into the forest and find a nice little clearing, where the sun shinned down in patches through the leaves, and they'd have a picnic as a family and enjoy each others company, laughing and teasing and talking.

She took a deep breath and headed into the house, putting her shoes next to the door and heading into the kitchen. Her dad wouldn't be home for a while, but that didn't matter, she had till midnight. 

"Hey sweetie." Crystal says as Apple sits on the table. 

"Hey mom." Apple replies with a smile. 

"I thought you were going to Dez's." 

"I was going to, but Dez and Z aren't getting along the best right now, and I didn't really want to interrupt. Dez is scary when she's angry." 

"That poor girl, she's been through a lot, they both have." 

"Yeah, I feel bad for her. I couldn't imagine loosing dad." 

"I couldn't either sweetie." She says, glancing over at Apple, who was still sitting on the table. "Speaking of, your dads running late, something about the meeting running late because of an interruption. But he'll be home for dinner." 

"Alright." 

"Do you want me to make you lunch?" 

"Sure." 

"You want it to go?" 

"Yeah, I'll probably head into the forest." 

Crystal turned around and opened the fridge, digging around and grabbing some stuff. Apple watched as her mom prepared her lunch. It would be simple, but that didn't matter. She knew her mom would usually be more cheery than this, but she knew that Kurt disappearing had taken a toll on her too, though not as much as it did to Dezeray and Zisteau.

"Here you go sweetie. Don't stay out too late, ok?" 

"Ok mom. Thank you." 

"No problem sweetie." Crystal says, kissing Apple's head. 

A small smile tugged at Apple's lips as she hopped of the table and back towards the front door. 

"And don't forget to wear shoes." Crystal called out. 

"I won't!" Apple replies, quickly pulling on her shoes.

She heads out the door, quickly discarding her shoes, preferring to carry them instead of wear them. Her mom always scolded her about it, but she couldn't honestly care. She loved the feel of soft grass beneath her feat, loved how it felt, slightly tickling the bottom of her feet. She was like her dad in that way, they both preferred to walk around barefoot. 

She made her way into the forest, heading down an unofficial path, one she'd traversed a million times, one she knew so well. It lead into a small clearing, where flowers grew freely and a small stream bubbled through the middle of the clearing. She walked to the stream and stuck her feet in the lukewarm water. It felt nice on her feet. The water was just warm enough to be able to have her feet in comfortably. 

She pulled a sandwich out of her lunch box and at it in piece, letting her mind wander as she relaxed in the spotty sunshine. It had been a long time since her family had gone out on a picnic like this, she realized. She missed it. Ever since that day that Kurt got taken away, they hadn't been out. 

Her father had been too caught up in trying to get Kurt back, which he honestly wasn't getting much of anywhere with, as sad as that is. She knew her dad was really stressed and tired from constantly worrying about Kurt, even though he looked calm and conserved on the outside. She knew he didn't sleep too well anymore. He was a leader, and one of his people had been taken and was probably being broken down and hurt right now for just a little piece of information.

She finished off her lunch and made her way back through the forest and towards her house. She dropped her shoes by the front door and heading into the kitchen, placing her lunch box on the counter. 

"I'm home!" She called out, hoping to get a response, which she didn't. 

She shrugged and headed up the stairs, planning on heading to her room, though she stopped when she heard a small sob and mumbled words. She put her ear against her parents bedroom door. 

"I just don't know what to do anymore. Seeing how distressed Dez is over this is killing me. Seeing her and Zisteau fight is even worse." Guude says, his voice shaking. 

"Guude, come on, you know your doing your best." 

"But it doesn't feel like enough though. I keep trying and trying but it feels like I'm getting no where."

"You found out where he is, that's huge." 

"Yeah... I just wished we could have gotten him home already." 

"Don't worry about Kurt, Guude, he's strong, I'm positive he will be ok." 

" I hope you right." 

Apple knocks lightly on the door, calling out softly. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah sweetie." Came her mothers soothing voice. 

She opened the door slowly, quietly and headed in, closing the door behind her. She headed over and hugged her dad. "I love you dad." She murmured. "Don't give up hope, please." 

She feels arms wrap around her tightly. "I won't Apple. I love you too." 

She sat back a little, seeing the small, sad smile on her fathers face. It wasn't much, but it was an improvement. 

"Why don't we go eat dinner, it's almost ready." Crystal says gently, placing a hand on Guude's shoulder.

"I've gotta get something from my room, I'll be down shortly." Apple says, standing up. 

"Alright." 

She heads from the room, leaving the door open behind her. She closes her door behind her and puts her ear against it. She waits till she heard two sets of footsteps head down the stairs before heading back into her parents room, her footsteps light, barely making a sound. 

She found her dads bag and kneeled beside it. It was super messy, just like she suspected it would be. She dug around, trying to be as quiet as possible. She found a paper, which had a map with a set of coordinates circled. She grabbed another piece of paper and wrote down the coordinates before shoving it in her pocket. She put the map back, about where it had been, and went to leave, but something caught her eye, a picture, one of herself and her parents. She grabbed it and stuck it in her pocket before closing the bag and heading out of the room and back to hers, where she opened and closed the door before heading down the stairs. 

After dinner, which had been rather quiet, and had a sorrowful feel, was over, she headed back to her room and grabbed her pink backpack and put a change of clothes, a comb, a flashlight, the piece of paper, and the picture. She sat it out of sight and sat on her bed, pulling out the book she had been reading and read a bit, trying to will away the time. When it was finally close to midnight, she grabbed her bag, putting on her back and heading for her bedroom door, but she stopped, quickly remembering something. She grabbed a silver chain off of her dresser and clipped it around her neck. The little silver heart hung just bellow her pink shirt. 

She quietly headed out of her room and briefly stopped by her parents, opening the door quietly. They were cuddled against each other, fast asleep. "I'm sorry, but I'll be back soon." She whispered as she closed the door again and headed down the stairs and to the front door, where she pulled on her shoes and headed out into the night, the moon full and shinning brightly down upon her as the stars littered the sky, accenting the moon, and making the night sky oh so beautiful.


	3. Chapter 3

Ariana glanced back at Dezeray, seeing her walking the other way, her head down. She was really worried about Dezeray. She knew how much she'd been through, yet she was still there fighting, in more ways than one. She honestly couldn't understand what it's like, loosing your dad, not by death, but something just as bad. Or even in Zisteau's case, how do you stand having your husband taken away.

She shook her head sadly, her long light brown hair getting in her face. She continued down the road, only stopping when she reached the bakery, where her father would more than likely be at. She opened the door and the little bell above the glass door chimed. 

"Hey Ari!" Bdubs says cheerily, sticking his head out of the kitchen.

"Hey dad." Ariana replies. 

"Why'd you stop by?" 

"Just though I'd say hi, I was on my way home." 

Bdubs smiles. "You know, if your not busy, I could use some help." 

Ariana glances at the clock, she had all day, so a little bit of time spent here wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. "I'd love too." She replies with a smile. 

She hopes over the counter and grabs her white apron with pink flowers and puts it on. She makes her way into the kitchen. "What do you need help with?" 

"Could you knead that dough for me?" 

"Sure." 

She heads over to the work station after washing her hands and starts kneading the dough, she guessed it was for bread, more than likely, but it was hard to say. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Bdubs sitting on a stool. 

"I thought you needed help because you were busy?" Ariana asks, confused. 

"No, I needed help so I could relax." Bdubs says with a smirk. 

"Dad!" Ariana giggles, grabbing a handful of flour and throwing it at him. 

Bdubs brown hair turned white because of the flour and he fell off his stool, startled, but laughing. 

"Your gonna get it!" He says, around laughs, throwing a handful of flour at Ariana. 

Ariana giggles and grabs a tube of icing and squirts it at him, successfully hitting his face. "Bring it!"

"So that's how you wanna play?" Bdubs says with a smirk as he grabs a cupcake and smashes it in her face. 

The cupcake falls to the floor and the frosting stuck to her face. She grabbed a cupcake and smashed it on top of his head, laughing triumphantly. He retaliates by throwing sprinkles at her. They stuck to her face and got tangled in her hair. She grabbed a pie, that happened to be banana cream and smashed it in his face, giggling, as she watched the whipped cream and bananas fall from his face, though a piece of banana stuck to his forehead. 

"Oh my gosh. You guys made a mess!" Came a voice, sounding serious and silly at the same time.

Ariana giggled, whipping frosting off of her face. 

"What were you guys doing?" Nicole asks.

"This." Bdubs says, smashing a cupcake in her face. 

"Bdubs!" She yelps, but grabs another cupcake and smashes it in his face, making his face pink with frosting. 

"Ya got me!" Bdubs laughs, throwing his hands up in defeat. 

"Well I'm heading home, why don't you come with and get cleaned up Ari. Let dad take care of this." 

"Hey! But she helped make the mess!" 

"Yeah, and it's your bakery." Nicole kisses Bdubs. "I love you." 

"I love you too." 

"Come on Ari." 

Ariana follows Nicole out of the small bakery, leaving her dirty apron on a hook. They were quiet, for most of the walk back, just enjoying the nice weather. 

"Hey mom?" Ariana questions.

"Yes Ari?" Nicole says, glancing at Ariana. 

"Have you heard anything about Kurt yet...?" 

"Ari hon, you know I don't get told this stuff. That's all for the council to know, not me." 

Ariana frowns slightly. "I'm worried about him." 

"I am too." 

"I'm also worried about Dez and Z, they got in another fight today." 

"That poor girl. I suppose you talked to her today?" 

"Yeah, she was upset. I know she hates fighting with Zisteau, but she can't help it." 

"I know, but she'll be ok. Kurt will be ok too."

"I hope so." Ariana says sadly. 

"Just keep your head up Ari."

"I will."

They reached the house and Nicole unlocked the door. Ariana took her shoes off. "What did you want me to do with these?" 

"Uh, put them in the laundry room, along with your clothes when your done with your shower.

"Alright." 

Ariana heads up the stairs and grabs a change of clothes from her room before heading to the bathroom and turning on the shower. After it was nice and hot, she stepped in. She loved the feeling of hot water on her skin. And it felt nice to have the frosting off of her face. 

She was honestly kind of nervous for this little adventure of theirs. Usually Dezeray was the daring one that thought all of this up and would suggest things. But this time, it had been her, and there was no way she was backing out of this now. How could she, really? Apple and Dezeray were counting on her. 

Eventually, she stepped out of the hot steamy shower, shivering slightly as the cold air hit her. She quickly grabbed a towel and dried off. She braided her damp hair down her back so it was out of her face. After she was dressed she tossed her clothes into the laundry room and headed to her room, where she found a backpack and packed what she thought was necessities, clothes, hair brush, flashlight, batteries, and a few other random things. 

After she was packed, she set the bag off to the side, where it wouldn't be noticed and headed back down stairs, where her mom was in the kitchen. 

"Your dads running late tonight, said to eat without him." Nicole says, handing Ariana a plate.

"Thank you." 

Long after dinner and late into the night and after Bdubs had returned home, she snuck out, her bag on her back and an extra bag in hand. She made it the bakery and used the key she had to get inside. She took loafs of bread, pastries, and cupcakes, making sure their would be plenty. After making sure the bakery was locked, she headed out, making her way down the moon lit path to the garden.


	4. Chapter 4

Dezeray walked with her head down, her eyes glued to the road. She knew she had to go home, which meant dealing with Zisteau. Usually, she would love to go home and laugh and joke with her dads, but not since Kurt was taken. Ever since then, all her and Zisteau could do was argue. It was stressful and she hated it, but it was home, and Zisteau is her dad. 

She pulled herself out of her thoughts as she approached her house. It was a nice house, two story, has a pool. She entered quietly and made her way up to her room, hoping Zisteau wouldn't hear her. For she wasn't ready to talk to him, not yet at least. She pulled out a worn picture and looked at it, tears welling up in her eyes again. It showed Kurt, Zisteau, and herself when she was eight. She looked so happy, so childish. She had worn a white dress with pink flowers, pink flats, and her hair was pulled back into piggy tail braids. 

She hugged the picture to her chest, trying so hard not to cry as she remembered a happier time. She remembered the day that picture had been taken. It was a bright summer day, and Kurt and Zisteau had told her to get dressed up so they could go out to dinner and maybe get some ice cream afterwords. The picture itself had been taken at the park and She honestly couldn't have been happier that day. 

She brought her knees to her chest and rested her head on her knees, letting the tears fall, not caring anymore. She knew what was to come, and she knew it would hurt Zisteau even more, but what else was she to do? Sit around while Kurt was probably being tortured and no one was doing anything. 

"Dez?" Came a quiet, questioning voice. 

She lifted her head up, seeing Zisteau standing in the doorway, tears streaked down his face. 

"What?" Dezeray asks quietly.

"I'm sorry about yelling at you." Zisteau says with sigh, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "I know this is hard, for both of us. And we have to work together to get through this." 

Dezeray glances at Zisteau with teary blue-green eyes. "I understand. And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have done what I did. It was childish of me." 

"No, Dez, you had every right to be angry and upset. We both do. And you have a point, them doing nothing is aggravating, but we have to trust that they'll get this done." 

Zisteau hugged Dezeray tightly, letting her cry onto his chest. If she didn't already feel bad about what Apple, Ariana, and herself were gonna do, this made it a thousand times worse. But, they stayed like, for a long, long while, finding comfort in each others presence, finding the thing that would help them stay sane, at least for a little while. 

Eventually though, they moved away from each other, both faces tear streaked and matching blue-green eyes full of sadness and longing. She was so distraught about this whole situation. Of course she knew this would hurt Zisteau, it would break his already broken heart, but what was she to do? Sit around and wait? Just was it for the day when they were told he was dead? Wait for Zisteau to be taken next? She knew she had to do this. She knew it was the only option left. She hated that she had to break Zisteau's heart again, but her heart was slowly breaking too, and she knew eventually it would become too much a burden to carry on her shoulders anymore. 

"You wanna get dinner?" Zisteau asks gently. 

"No, I'm not really hungry." Dezeray responds quietly, her mind waging a war. 

"You ok?" 

"I guess." 

"You know you can talk to me. I'm always willing to listen."

"I know..." 

"I'll be down stairs if you need me." Zisteau says with a sad, longing smile. 

Dezeray nods as Zisteau heads from the room. Only if he knew what were to come, what was truly to come. If only he knew so it hurt less, if that were at all possible. It would hurt Bdubs, Nicole, Guude, Crystal. All of them would be hurting, but she felt it was only right to step in and do something when everyone else was doing nothing. She was already starting to dread this, her decision. 

Why had she let Apple Ariana convince her this would work? Why did they keep trying to get her to look at the bright side when there really wasn't one? Why did she keep trying? Why not just give up and wait like the rest of the town? She knew the answer to all of those questions. She had hope. She had strength. She had the will power to continue believing when no one else could. That's what made her truly different from the group. She had hope. She'd learned that lesson from Kurt. He would tell her constantly, always have hope. Hope is all you need, he'd say, an insightful look in his blue eyes. She'd never really realized how true those statements were until she really had needed to have hope. 

Her mind continued to wander, a while after the sun had set. She finally made her way down stairs, looking around for Zisteau. She didn't see him, which made her worried, really worried. She started freaking out, searching the house frantically. Eventually, she saw a silhouetted figure sitting out on the porch. She took a deep, steadying breath as tears rushed down her cheeks.

She rushed outside and threw her arms around Zisteau, hugging him tightly. 

"Woah, you ok there?" Zisteau asks with a chuckle.

"I-I came down stairs and you weren't there...." Dezeray says shakily. "I thought they took you too!" She sobs.

"It's fine Dezzy, I'm right here, they didn't take me." 

"I-I thought I was alone!" 

"Dez, shhh, calm down, it's ok." 

Dezeray just hugs him tightly, unable to say anything else as her fear subsides slowly. 

"As long as we have each other well be fine, always." Zisteau says quietly, kidding Dezeray's head, trying to comfort the young girl.

Dezeray's heart stung with pain as those words settled in. They'd be ok if they had each other. That made her want to call off everything, to stay here and never leave. But she still knew she couldn't do anything else. She just hoped, beyond hope, that Zisteau would be ok. 

Long into the night, after Dezeray had truly calmed down, and the moon had fully risen, signifying the time, almost midnight. She grabbed the bag she had packed earlier and snuck off into the night, following a moonlit path which would lead her to the beginning of a new adventure, one she wasn't sure what was to come.


	5. Chapter 5

Dezeray made her way into the dimly lit garden. She found no one else in the little clearing in the middle, signifying that she was the first to arrive. She laid down in the soft green grass and stared up at the clear night sky. The moon shone down brightly, illuminating everything with a soft white glow. The stars, shinned brightly, decorating the night sky, though they weren't as bright as the moon. A question still lingered in her head. _Should I really do this?_ But she'd already made her decision. She was going, and that was it. 

"Hey Dez." Came a soft voice.

"Hey Apple." Dezeray replied, briefly glancing to where Apple was standing, though her gaze was quickly cast back to the vast night sky. 

"You know, my dad, he came home really upset today." Apple says gently, sitting in the grass beside Dezeray, catching the girls attention. "He said that he felt like wasn't doing enough and he was getting nowhere, and that you and Zisteau fighting is hard to watch. This is tearing him apart more than you realize Dez, I don't want this to make you upset or anything, I just want you to know that he is trying, and Kurt being gone isn't something he takes lightly." 

Dezeray just looks at Apple in the moon light, seeing the serious expression on the others face. "I know Apple. It's just.... you know." Was all she could say as her gaze went back to the stars. 

"Hiya guys." Ariana says, joining the other two in the moonlit garden. 

"Hey." Apple says quietly, standing up.

"We should probably head out." Ariana says, holding her hand out for Dezeray. 

Dezeray pulled herself up and grabbed her bag she had discarded a while before. "Yeah, lets go." 

The three headed out in silence, Apple leading the way. She lead them to a small patch of trees just behind town hall and went to a certain one and hit a hidden button, which opened a dark hallway. Apple pulled out her flashlight and lead the way through the dark stone hall. Eventually they made it to a large room, which was filled with various weapons. 

"Well?" Ariana says, glancing around the large room. 

"Take what you need, it's not like they'll miss it." Apple says, heading for a long sword with emeralds embedded in the hilt.

Dezeray scanned the room, taking in all the various weapons hung carefully on walls and laid on tables. She found an elegant looking wood long bow. Little designs where carved into the wood and it ended in intricate curls at the ends where the string was pulled taut. She picked it up, finding it way sturdier than it looked. She grabbed a quiver with dangerous looking arrows with shadowy grey feathers. She also grabbed a dagger and a small hilt that it would rest in.

"Ready to go?" Ariana asks, slinging a battle axe across her back. 

Dezeray nods. "Yeah, lets go."

And, with that, the three girls head back through the dark hallway and out into the moonlit land. Apple pulled out a map as they reached the far northern edge of the town, and looked at it curiously, occasionally glancing up at the small piece of paper clipped to the top.

"Uh... which way do we need to go?" Ariana asks curiously, glancing over at the map Apple has.

"This way.... I think." Apple says unsurely, pointing to her right. 

"Oh my gosh Apple! Your holding the map upside down!"

"Oh...." Apple says, bursting out into a giggle fit. 

"So really." Ariana says, taking the map from the giggling girl. "We need to go west."

Dezeray instinctively starts walking west, as was signified by the moons position. The other two girls follow along, not questioning her as she walks. This was a skill she had learned from Kurt, so she'd never truly be lost. She kept walking in silence, just a few paces in front of the other two who were talking between themselves. She would usually love to talk with them and joke and laugh, but right now, she just couldn't, she had too much weighing on her mind and soul. 

"Hey Dez... you ok?" Came Apple's voice. 

"Do I really have to answer anymore?" 

"No." Apple says sadly, already knowing the unspoken answer. "Have hope Dezeray. Have hope that you'll see Kurt again, or at least know the truth." Apple takes her hand and squeezes it gently before dropping it.

"I haven't lost hope yet Apple. It's just hard, you know, my dad is gonna be so heart broken by this. First he lost his husband, now his daughter."

"Yeah, but we'll be back soon enough with Kurt, nothing is going to stop us."

"I hope your right." 

Apple gives her an encouraging smile, though there was sadness hidden behind it. 

"We're probably another two hours from the coordinates Apple gave us. Which means we should walking till the sun starts rising, then we should set up camp and take turns keeping watch while the others sleep, then head out again as soon as the suns set. We'll be better off breaking in at night." Ariana says, glancing up at the moons position. 

"We have about half an hour till the sunrise." Dezeray comments, also glancing up at the moon. 

They continue walking in silence, none of them really knowing what to say. Soon enough, the sun had started rising, casting beautiful colors across the sky, like a welcoming gift, though soon enough it would be replaced by a bright blue sky or dark grey rain clouds. 

"Lets set up camp in this forest, a few meters back though, so were not visible." Ariana comments, straying slightly from their path. 

They make their a way into the forest, trying to find a clearing which would work for a camp. They found one with a fallen tree through that ran through the middle, but that wouldn't be a problem at all. They all sat in the grass in a mini circle as Ariana passed food to the others. It was quiet for a long, long while. All lost in thoughts. Dezeray picked at her pastry, not really eating much of it. She felt sick to her stomach, from nerves among other things.

"So, since we know absolutely nothing about where Kurt is being held, we'll have to come up with a game plan." Apple says, catching everyone's attention. 

"And, what would that game plan be?" Dezeray questions, glancing up at the two girls. 

"We'll have to stick together for sure. If we get seperatted, meet at the last spot we saw each other. And, among all other things, we must be quiet and stealthy, and do whatever it takes to get through the building." Apple says, a sorrowful look being the confidence in her green eyes.

"Even....?" Ariana asks, unable to finish her sentence. 

"Yes, whatever it takes." 

An awkward silence settles in the air as they all fall silent, the decision they'd made would come with consequences, they knew that, they just hoped it wasn't their own lives that were taken. 

"I'll take first shift." Dezeray says, breaking the awkward, tension filled silence.

"Alright, wake us if anything happens." Ariana says, moving to the other side of the fallen tree with Apple close behind. 

Dezeray walked towards the edge of the forest, which boarded a large grass field. She climbed a tree and stayed towards the trunk, out if sight. She carefully sat and pulled the from her shoulder and notched an arrow, letting it sit limp against her leg. She scanned the horizon, seeing nothing but the grass swaying lightly in the breeze. 

It was very peaceful. If it hadn't been for the quest they were on, she would have found this perfect. She tried keeping her focus, which was rather difficult, especially with the guilt that sat heavily in her soul. She knew Zisteau was probably panicking right now and breaking down while Guude and the rest of the council where frantically trying to figure out what had happened and why the three girls had gone missing in the middle of the night.

She knew Zisteau's world was crashing down. Now he had no one. He was all alone, which was something he secretly feared. He was a strong, insightful, kind man, but no matter what he was, he still had his fears and weaknesses. She feared being alone too. Not in the sense that she was in a room by herself, but that she didn't have her family or friends anymore, anyone to have her back. 

She took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts aside. She needed to focus, to keep her friends safe. She knew soon enough she'd have to wake Ariana or Apple and have them take over watch so she could sleep, though she didn't really know if she could sleep at all, she just hoped she could, for she desperately needed it. 

After a while longer, she carefully descended from her perch and made her way over to Apple, shaking her awake. 

"It's your turn." Dezeray says quietly, trying not to wake Ariana.

"Ok." Apple says with a yawn, standing up with a stretch. 

"There's a good vantage point from halfway up the tree directly north of here. Wake Ari up when the sun is halfway between noon and sunset." 

"Alright, sleep well." Apple says as she walks off. 

Dezeray puts her bag on the ground and uses it as a pillow. It wasn't too comfortable, but it would work. She closed her eyes and hoped to sleep, which she did. After several hours, when the sun was just staring to set, Dezeray was awoken by Ariana and Apple. 

"Get ready, we have to set out soon." Ariana says, sounding very serious and tired, almost like she'd had too much time to think. 

"Right." Was all Dezeray said as she got up and are the food she was given. 

A little while later the three set out again, just as the sun had fully set. They had to be stealthy, especially this close to the building. They just had to be brave and keep going. They stayed quiet the whole way, afraid of being overheard and caught. As the building came into view, they stopped on a hillside, just close enough to see, but far enough not to be seen.

"See that window there?" Apple asks in a whisper, pointing at the building.

"The one near the ground?" Ariana asks, squinting to see.

"Yeah. I say we enter through there. But one person goes first to see if the cost is clear, then the other two follow. I'm guessing that they'll have Kurt locked somewhere below ground, probably a basement of some sort." 

"Right...." Ariana says, glancing to the other two girls. "Who goes first?"

"I will." Dezeray says. 

"You sure?" 

"Positive." Dezeray nods. "Lets just do this."

The three girls share a look, then slowly head down the hill towards the building. They didn't m is what they would find, but they were prepared as much as they could be, but was it really enough?


	6. Chapter 6

They stopped at the window, their backs against the wall, trying to disappear into the shadows. Dezeray squatted down and opened the window quietly. She slipped inside, landing roughly on the floor which was farther down than she expected. She glanced down both ends of the hallway. It was clear. 

"It's clear." Dezeray called out quietly.

Ariana and Apple both slipped through the window and joined Dezeray. Dezeray pointed to the left, indicating that they should go that way and the other two nodded. They both followed Dezeray as she took the lead. Their footsteps were quiet, almost soundless as they made it to a corner. She peered around the corner cautiously, seeing no one. She was thankful for it being so late. They rounded the corner and found a set of stairs, which they proceeded down carefully. 

At the bottom of the stairs was a long hallway, with a bunch of different sets of barred walls. Dezeray rushed down the dark corridor, looking each and every cell. All but one were empty, though dried up blood colored the floors and walls and an occasional bone, from something, littered the floor. It was horrifying, something she never wanted to see again, ever. The last one she looked in had a slumped over figure leaning back against a wall. She felt a pang in her heart as she rushed forward, trying to pull the locked door open. She pulled a bobby pin out of her hair and starts picking the lock, which actually worked. 

She rushed over to the figure and hugged it tightly. "Dad!" 

"Shut the fuck up Dez. We don't want to be caught." Apple hisses quietly. 

"D-Dez?" Kurt questions, his voice hoarse, weak. 

"Yeah, it's me dad." 

Kurt hugged her tightly, or as tightly as his broken body could. She felt the tears already streaming down her face, but she couldn't help it, she was just so happy that he was alive, that he was ok. A loud set of foot steps going down the hall broke the seldom moment.

"Shit.... hug later, we have to go." Ariana says, pulling Dezeray away from Kurt. 

Dezeray quickly stood up and helped Kurt up as well, pulling him along as they went out the door, which Apple closed behind her. They walked as quickly as they could back down the long hallway. They made their way back up the stairs and to the window they entered. 

"You first, dad." Dezeray instructs.

Kurt nods briefly before he found the strength to haul himself up and out the window. Apple and Ariana followed, leaving Dezeray to exit last. She glanced back down the hallway, hearing heavy footsteps, a guard she presumed. She quickly pulled herself up and out of the window, joining the other three outside. 

"Ok. It won't take long before they figure out he's gone, so we have to move quick." Ariana says quietly. "We'll walk till we get to the place we camped out yesterday and stop there. We'll rest for the day and head out again at night, got it?" 

"Got it." Apple and Dezeray whispered. 

All four jogged back up the hill and far into the plains, though they didn't get to far before Kurt had to stop. 

"Guard us, he needs a minute." Dezeray instructs the two girls, who nod and do just as they were told.

"You ok?" Dezeray asks, casting worried blue-green eyes at Kurt, looking him over in the dim light. 

He looked terrible, she realized. He was incredibly thin and looked so pale, the bruises, scars, and cuts that were visible made her very worried.

"I-I'm fine... Just... really weak...." 

"How much did they feed you?" 

Kurt spits out a laugh. "Not enough." 

"Guys. We have to go." Came Apple's voice, sounding quite strict.

"Come on." Dezeray says, pulling Kurt along as they heard running and yelling in the background. 

They walked as fast as they could away from the building, trying to keep a good pace as the building slowly disappeared in the background. It took an hour or two, but they reached the small clearing in the forest, just as the sun started its descent. Dezeray sat really close to Kurt as Ariana handed out food. It was quiet for the longest time as everyone ate. Kurt are quite a bit, though no one was surprised. 

"I'll take first watch." Ariana says, standing up and brushing dirt from her pants. 

"I'll join you." Apple comments, standing up as well. 

Dezeray watched as the two walked towards the plains, their weapons in hand. 

"Dez... Is Zisteau ok?" Kurt asks, his voice strained.

"I hope so." Was her reply as she looked at the ground. 

"What?"

"I mean.... he was ok, ok enough for a man who lost his husband.... but now, now I can only hope he is." 

"Why do you keep saying that." 

"Because.... I left. He didn't know I was leaving. Guude didn't know, Bdubs didn't, nobody did." 

"Wait... your saying you came out here without anyone knowing? You could've gotten yourself killed!" 

"I couldn't stand you not being home... I had to do something. All the fighting and arguing.... it really gets to you."

"Fighting?" 

"Dad and I.... Ever since you first got taken.... we have been fighting so much. I hate it. But I couldn't keep anything back. All the emotions, the stress, the heartbreak, everything kept getting worse." 

"Oh....."

"I'm just glad your ok." She says and hugs him tightly, letting the tears fall down her pale cheeks. 

Kurt hugs back tightly, holding his beautiful daughter close. "I'm just glad I get to see you again." 

They stayed like that for a long, long time. It was comforting, having the other back after so long. Though she was very worried about Kurt, he looked absolutely terrible, like they hadn't feed him in days and they'd beat him senseless. 

"Dad.... why did they take you?" She asks quietly, not moving away from him.

"They thought I knew something about Farlands." 

"Farlands?" 

"A kingdom from long ago, it was millions of miles to the west, it resided on a rocky cliff that overlooked a beautiful ocean. But, something happened to it, as it no longer around, but no one knows what."

"Why did they think you would know?" 

"The last king that ruled, he was related to me. See, if the kingdom were still around, I'd be king." 

"Oh....." 

"But I have no idea what happened to the kingdom, I've only ever heard the legends. Some say a mystical power was put into the wrong hands, others say they went to war and lost everything." 

She really wasn't sure how to feel about this whole situation. But, she pushed that all aside and just let herself be happy that her dad was finally back. After a while, they had both fallen asleep from the long night they'd had. But, she didn't get to sleep for too long, for Apple and Ariana woke her up to take watch. She glanced worriedly at Kurt, not wanting to leave him. 

"He'll be fine, don't worry." Apple says quietly, giving Dezeray a brief hug.

She nods and heads off towards the plains, where she climbs the tree and gets comfortable on the branch. She watched the as the sun slowly made its way down, as it was well past noon at that point. She knew Zisteau would be irate when they got back, until he saw Kurt, that is. She knew she would probably get grounded and never be allowed outside again. She let her mind wander as the sun started truly setting, casting a beautiful array of colors across the vast sky. 

When the sun had gotten low enough, she hopped down for the tree and woke up the others. They all ate quickly and set out again, agreeing it would be best to be quiet until they reached the far edges of the forest surrounding the town. They walked for hours, occasionally taking a break for Kurt, who was trying his hardest to keep walking, despite his weak body. 

Just as the sun peaked out over the tall trees, they reached the forest surrounding the town. They finally made it into town and people were walking about like usual, though a certain person was crying onto Vechs' shoulder.

"Dad!" Dezeray called out running towards him, just as Apple and Ariana did the same to their respective parents.

"Dezeray!" Zisteau shouts, hugging her tightly. "Why the hell did you leave??? I thought they took you.." He half shouts till his voice faded away, his eyes landing on his husband. "K-Kurt?" 

Zisteau just stares for a second, like he couldn't actually believe what he was seeing. But, it didn't last long as he ran over to Kurt, kissing him deeply, his arms wrapping tightly around the other. They stayed like that, for a long time. Dezeray watched as her fathers finally reunited after too long. When they finally did separate, they approached Dezeray and hugged her.

"Your grounded, you know that, right?" Zisteau says through tears, and a huge smile, which would probably never leave his face. 

"I know." Dezeray murmurs, finally feeling safe and whole again.


End file.
